Mail-receptacle.



J. H. RESE.

MAIL RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION man mp1 25, m0.

1,190,193. Patented July 4,1916.

Jena H. nnsn, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

MAIL-REoErTAoLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed July 25, 1910. Serial No. 573,614.

new and useful Improvements in Mail-Re ceptacles, of which the followingis a specification. V

This invention relates to boxes or'receptacles adapted to receive mail or other matter and is constructed so as to be opened and closed by the movements of a window or door of an apartment, the opening of which will expose the contents of the receptacle while the closing thereof closes the receptacle except for the admission of the matter which it is adapted to receive.

The invention is particularly intended to be applied to a private mail-receiving box for oifices, dwellings, apartments, etc., that is adapted to be applied to that jamb of the casing of a door to which the door is hinged.

As is common in private mail boxes of the type to which my invention belongs, one

side of the box is left openand is arranged to be closed whenever the door is shut.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a metal receptacle embodying my invention applied to the easing of a door. Fig. 2 is a front view of the attached section of the receptacle the removable section being taken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the complete receptacle taken on the line III'III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an inside face view of the removable section of the receptacle.

In the drawings A designates one of the jambs of'a door casing,"and B, the door hinged thereto in the usual manner. To this jamb is secured the metal receptacle which is in the form of a box composed of two sections, one attached and the other removable, and having front and rear walls, an outer side wall, and a top and bottom, the inner side wall, that is, the one toward the apartment and next the door, being omitted so that access may be had to the interior of the receptacle when the door is opened, the door, however, serving to close the receptacle when shut, in a manner Well known in the use of receptacles of the class to which mine belongs. The receptacle is formed, as stated, of two parts, of which one is an attached piece consisting of a rear wall 2, and an outer end wall 3. These parts are preferably integral and formed of metal. The wall 2 is perforated, as at 4, for the passage of the screws 5 or other means by which it is secured'to the jamb.

The perforations may be key-hole shaped so that the attached section of the receptacle can be removed by merely loosening the SCIGWS' The removable section of the receptacle consists of a front Wall 6, top, 7, and a bot tom, 8, these parts likewise being preferably of metal and integral. The attached and removable sections of the receptacle are united by lock-joints situated at the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the back plate or wall, these being so constructed as to permit the readyseparation of the sections, or their connection, when the door stands part way open, as represented in full lines in Fig; 1. It often happens that an outside door cannot be swung back against the Wall in'which it is set, leaving a clear space in the plane of the jamb to which it is hinged, but rather the hinged edge of the door stands opposite the face of the jamb A,

leaving but little clear space between them,

cannot open back against the Wall, it is only this restricted space which is available for the lateral movement of the removable sectionof the receptacle when it is to be separated from or applied tothe attached sec-.

tion, unless the door is removed from the casing, and my invention has'for its object to so construct the receptacle that the parts of which it is composed can be separated from each other or united in this restricted space. V

9, 9 indicate the interrupted portions of the lock-joints that unite the two sections of the receptacle, that are carried at the upper and lower ends of the rear wall or plate 2 of the attached section.

. 10, 10 are flanges at the inner edges, respectively, of the top and bottom Walls, 7 and 8, of the removable section of the receptacle. These flanges carry separated folded edge sections, 11,11, adapted to em gage, respectively, with the joint sections 9 of the stationary part of the receptacle, as clearly indicated in the drawings, and thus unite the sections securely. The forward edge of the end wall, 3, is preferably flanged,'as indicated at 12, to

form a close joint with the meeting edge of the front wall 6 of the removable section when the parts of the receptacle are brought together. There is thus formed a joint at this point which may be of any usual or pre ferred construction. Joints may likewise be formed, if desired, at the upper and lower ends of the end wall 3 where such wall meets, respectively, the top and bottom of the receptacle.

The joints by which the two parts of the receptacle are united, are, as stated, interrupted and are of such nature that a comparatively sh'ort lateral movement of the outer section will bring the folded over portions 11 of the joints opposite the spaces 13 situated between the other parts, 9, of the joint, while at the same time these parts 9 come opposite the spaces 14: between the folded over joint sections 11. WVhen this situation occurs, the front section can be entirely removed from the attached section by a forward movement, as distinguished from the lateral movement which thus brought the parts into position to be separated.

It will thus be seen that the receptacle whatever its size, can be constructed of separate parts which may be united or separated after the rear section has been attached, even though the available space between the edge of the door and the jamb is small. It is desirable that the attaching means that unite the receptacle to the door casing should be entirely concealed and protected by the casing itself in order that they may not be accessible for the unauthorized removal of the entire receptacle, and this desirable feature is secured by the construction which I have shown. The opposite ends of the attached section are similar to each other so that it may be applied equally as well to a right-hand or a left-hand door.

I have described and illustrated the form of interrupted joint which I prefer to employ, but I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiment thereof shown in the drawings. That illustrated shows the folded over sections of the joints carried by the movable section of the receptacle and pro jecting from the edges of the continuous flanges 10 integral with the top and the bottom wall, respectively. This arrangement results in the production of a box or receptacle without exposed or visible joints, and one which can be easily made waterproof.

If desired, a hood or shield 15 may be applied to the casing directly above the box as a water guard for preventing rain or snow from entering the box, although this will not usually be necessary, as the arrangement shown enables the production of tight and practically waterproof joints.

Ill order to 'prevent'unauthorized access to the box or receptacle, I have devised mechanism which I will now describe.

16 indicates an opening in the front wall of the box, preferably near the upper end, through which mail matter may be passed.

17 is a pivoted flap arranged inside the receptacle and adapted to close the opening 16.

18 represents a shield or plate pivoted at 19 to the inner face of the front wall 6 directly below the opening 16. It normally hangs down parallel with the wall 6, but is so connected with the flap 17 that when the latter is moved to uncover the opening, the shield is thrown upward and inward to cut off direct access to the lower part of the box or receptacle.

20, 20 indicate arms secured to the shield 18 near its edges extending inward and bent at their ends to form hooks 21.

22, 22 are arms carried by the flap 17 and shaped to engage with the hooks 21. The ends of the arms 22 are formed into hooks 23 that engage withthe hooks 21 when the parts are in normal position, as indi cated in full lines in Fig. 3. Back of the hooks 23, that is, between said hooks and the portions of the arms that are connected with the flap 17, the arms are curved, as indicated at 2%, and with these curved portions the projections 21 engage when the flap is moved to fully uncover the opening 16, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. The relationship of the arms 20 and 22 is such that when the flap 17 is pushed inward it first operates to swing the shield 18 back to the position represented in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the parts reach this position the flap 17 has moved far enough to slightly, but not fully, uncover the opening 16, and during these movements the hooks 23 remain in engagement with the projections 21. A further movement of the flap, carrying it and the arms 22 into the position indicated by dash and dot lines in Fig. 3, does not operate to further move the shield beyond the position indicated in dotted lines, because the hooks 23 pass out of engagement with the pins 21 and the curved parts 2 1 of the arms 22 come into engagement there with, and the curvature of these parts is such that the shield or plate 18 is merely held in its inner position whilethe flap is swung to its full open position. The length of the shield is such that it does not quite reach the back wall, 2, of the box when swung to its inner position, but leaves an open space through which letters and other thin articles may pass into the lower part of the receptacle.

What I claim is 1 1. A receptacle for mail matter adapted to be applied to a 'door' casing and to be closed by the door, comprising an attached section and a removable section united by interrupted sliding joints, the removable section being provided with a continuous flange folded upon itself but having portions of the folded part removed, and the other section having a broken or interrupted edge, the separate portions of the said edge engaging with the folded over portions of the flange of the first mentioned section while that portion of the said flange from which the folded over part has been removed closes the space between the interrupted portions of the edge of the said second section.

2. A receptacle for mail matter and the like adapted to be applied to a door casing, having one side left open to be closed by the door, the receptacle comprising an attached section having a back and one end,

of the top and bottom respectively being provided each with a continuous flange folded upon itself but having portions of the folded part removed, the removable section being united with the attached section by the interengagement of the said interrupted edges and folded flanges, and the said flanges operating to close and conceal the spaces between the interrupted portions of the edges of the said attached section. 7

JOHN H. RESE. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. DARR, Jr.,

JAs. P. SoHroK.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patent:

- ingtu, D. 0. 

